An Artistic Misunderstanding
by PassingShadow
Summary: AU. Even if he had agreed to basically sell his good looks, Naruto was still a man of principles. SasuNaru. Oneshot.


**Title:** An Artistic Misunderstanding

**Rating****: **M rated, for you know what.

**Warnings: **Yaoi, and SasuNaru. And, you know what follows.

**Summary:** AU. Even if he had agreed to basically sell his good looks, Naruto was still a man of principles. SasuNaru. Oneshot.

**A/N: **So, I had a lot of fun writing this. I got the idea when I saw these amazing SasuNaru pics on tumblr. Yes, what's a fan girl to do. I'm not sure I remember the link to the picture, but if I ever find it then I will be sure to paste a link onto my profile. .

**Disclaimer: **Unfortunately, I lack a little Kiba in my life. Oh, and the rest of the Naruto cast.

* * *

**An Artistic Misunderstanding**

"All right, the session is going to last for about three hours. So if you think the chair's even a bit uncomfortable, say something," Sai explained. "Because I can promise you, the numbness won't go away for days."

"Fun," Naruto murmured, scratching the back of his head.

The dark haired man laughed, leading the way through a small apartment that had temporarily turned into a makeshift studio, and towards a storage room. Black orbs fixed themselves onto the blond, "Though, something tells me you already know how that feels."

The blond rolled his eyes. Once his friends had found out he wasn't as straight a line as they thought, Naruto found himself at the butt end of their jokes. No pun intended. Though Sai and he weren't exactly the closest of friends, Sai never hesitated to instigate the teasing. The blond had known the guy for just a little over a year now, _but_, the pale man was Sakura's current boyfriend. So that meant he knew all about Naruto, and way more than he should.

Sai pointed out a small grey locker in the corner. "You can stash your stuff in there. Neji should be here anytime now, so come out when you're ready."

Naruto coughed. "So...Does that mean I have to take off, you know," he moved his hand up and down, motioning to himself, "everything?"

Naruto heard a snort, "Naruto, trust me. You don't have anything Neji hasn't got himself."

Anger bubbled within the blond man, the door closing before he could say a few things to the jerk. Sighing, he turned away, manoeuvring himself amongst the piles of clothes and the small bed. He noticed a stack of canvases in the corner.

Naruto was a lot of things, and currently, one of those things was short of cash. Which was the reason he was stripping.

The current recession had hit the blond pretty hard. He'd been lucky he still had a job at the diner, but with rising prices, his wages weren't near enough. The blond had been pretty hesitant about asking his friends for help, because he didn't want to impose on them.

Standing in the small room, the blond pulled the faded orange hoodie over his head. His white t-shirt quickly followed, leaving Naruto standing in his threadbare jeans barefooted.

Blue eyes looked at themselves in the full length mirror that had been propped up against the corner wall. The reflection was of a confident young man, smugly flexing his tanned abs, a reward from the hours of kick boxing that he'd taken up in order to earn a little extra cash. And if his tattoo added to the amount he was paid for modelling, he wouldn't complain. Naruto flashed one his trade mark grins, and reached up to ruffle his unruly blond hair.

Apparently, people got paid to model for artists. It was weird, but he wasn't complaining as long as it wasn't for anything shady. Even if he had agreed to basically sell his good looks, Naruto was still a man of principles.

"You ready?" a voice asked.

The blond looked back, and beamed at the man at the door, giving him a thumbs up. "You bet 'cha. What next?"

Sai waved his hand. "Come on."

Naruto had kept pretty low key about his financial troubles, but Sakura had turned up just when the electricity in his shitty apartment was cut off. It was then quickly decided he needed a second job. He had tried to talk Sakura out of it, but if he ever met someone who could actually accomplish that. Naruto would like to personally congratulate him.

His pink haired friend had wasted no time in sharing all this to her boyfriend, who for once, had actually had a sensible solution. Having an established name in the art industry, Sai had looked around, and found out that an upcoming artist called Vengeance was looking for a model for one of new pieces. The pay would not only help Naruto with his electricity bill, but was also enough to stop his water being cut off this month.

The two men walked out of the room and back into the studio, which now had a canvas set upon an easel. Naruto's toes pressed against the warm floorboards, enjoying the feeling. He was led to a small leather seat, which looked extremely soft and inviting. Grinning, he looked back up at Sai. "If you think a leather sofa is uncomfortable, I can't see how you survive Sakura's battered couch."

"It's not like I _sit_ on it. It has much better uses."

Naruto slammed his hands on top of his ears, his voice roaring. "_Dude_. Too much information! Ew, I sit on that couch, you know." He clenched his eyes shut. "And now I have the mental image. Yuck!"

"I thought models were supposed to be seen, not heard." A man's voice interrupted.

Both Sai and Naruto turned, looking at the new comer at the door. The man was like a replica of Sai: the same posture and aura; the pale skin. The only difference he could see was the stranger's elaborately gelled hair. Naruto had the inexplicable feeling that the hairstyle reminded him of something. The guy had on a black shirt with navy skinny jeans , the strap of his leather messenger bag slung across his chest.

Naruto scratched the back of his head. "Heh, sorry about that. I was just a little surprised." He half-heartedly glared at Sai for a second before offering a smile at the other pale man. "And soft isn't really in my dictionary."

"I'm surprised you even what a dictionary is."

Blue eyes narrowed. If this was jerk was Neji, then it was going to be a long day. Before Naruto could reply, the door opened, and another man stepped into the room. He was a tall man, with light eyes and long, smooth brown hair.

Dropping the pair of keys from his hand onto the small table next to the door, the second new comer then proceeded to drop his bag onto the floor. When the man saw Sai and Naruto, he flashed a polite smile.

"Hey. You're here, great." He came forward, stopping to stare at Naruto, and smiled, "You must be Naruto."

Naruto returned the grin with one of his own, putting out his hand, for a shake, "And I am hoping to god you're Neji."

"Course you are," Sai stated, "Now that the pleasantries are over and done, I've got to head in to work."

"It's Saturday," the Sai replica commented. He had also dropped his bag, and was now seated by the window, away from the group.

Sai smiled, but Naruto could see it was completely fake. Sai patted his pockets, checking for keys, "Guess I lied. But, I'd rather spend the day with my sexy girlfriend than a bunch of guys. Unless any of you are offering sex."

The way to the door was quickly cleared for Sai.

**X-x-0-x-X**

It had taken Neji about ten minutes to set up after Sai had been _ushered_ out. He had changed into a pair of white overalls, and had tied up his hair into a bun above his head. He seemed friendly enough, as he ushered Naruto towards the chair, positioning him. The blond had gotten a closer look to those eyes, and noted they had an almost lavender like tint to them.

"If you two want to make out, I suggest you get a room," Neji's friend snapped with the same arrogant voice he'd used earlier.

The words escaped Naruto's mouth before he could stop them. "Jealous because no one wants to kiss you?"

The dark haired man, now equipped with a small book, returned to his seat by the window. Which, Naruto noted, was a little bit too close to his chair, even Neji's stool was further away. "Hn. Sounds like you want to know." The corner of his lips curled to form a smirk.

"Piss off." Anger flamed within Naruto. Something told him the asshole wanted him to rise to the bait, and he felt annoyed that he did. He turned to Neji who was in the middle of shifting his right leg. "Why is the bastard even here?"

The brown haired man smiled slowly, "Please excuse him. Sasuke isn't used to dealing with people." Readjusting Naruto's chin a little, he held his hands out, "There. Don't move."

He quietly traced his steps back behind the canvas, setting himself down onto his stool. Picking up a small pencil, he brought it forward, moving his arm across the canvas.

"I think you might need a smaller canvas," the man named Sasuke commented. "He's such a small guy. It's a waste of space."

Forcing down the colourful language at the tip of his tongue, a single thought crossed Naruto's mind, for the second time. It was going to be long day.

**X-x-0-x-X**

An hour later, Naruto could see why Sai had said the chair would be uncomfortable. The blond had his left leg thrown across the leather arm, and the right resting on the floor. He was leaning back, his left arm resting on the back of the chair, the other resting on his right thigh.

Now this wasn't the reason why Naruto felt uncomfortable. It was because his head and neck was titled back over the other leather arm, his eyes staring up at the ceiling. He would've tried to fall asleep, but the pain in his neck was beginning to really bother him.

Sighing, the blond glanced back at Neji, who had now moved onto a sort of felt tip marker. Those lavender eyes were moving across the canvas carefully. Naruto wondered what the picture was beginning to look like. He wondered if it was anything like him. He watched the way the pale hands moved swiftly.

The blond couldn't draw a straight line to save his life. It was so bad that it bordered on pathetic. He smiled at the clear, white ceiling as he remembered back to his days in middle school. His year group had taken part in a programme that was meant to give back to a community, to repaint and rebuild certain alleyways and streets. Naruto had been given the unfortunate task of painting the fence that ran along the corner street.

Somehow his strokes of white paint had changed, from up and down, to all over the place. The blond had ended up with more paint on him than on the fence, even after the second coat. Naruto bit his lip to keep himself from laughing. He had had paint stuck in his hair for the next three weeks. Which was a look he carried with style, he may add.

Somewhere in the midst of his thoughts, Naruto realised Neji's eyes weren't the only pair watching him. The feeling was intense, making small goose bumps raise on his arms. He tried to ignore the tingling in his stomach, hoping Sasuke would look away.

After a few minutes, blue eyes risked a glance to the man sitting in the corner, who had lazily shifted his gaze back onto the page in front of him. He watched Sasuke, leaning against the glass of the window, his legs crossed at the ankles. The sunlight dropped around the dark haired man, illuminating his sharp features, angular cheekbones, thin lips, and the most delicate jaw Naruto had ever seen.

At first, the blond had compared this man to Sai, but looking at him now, he could see the subtle differences. Sai was pale, but Sasuke's skin had a slight glow to it, nowhere near as pasty as his friend. Also, where Sai was buffed out from his regular trips to the gym, this man was toned but in a much more restrained manner, if the thin lines of his biceps peeking out from beneath the sleeves of the black shirt were anything to go by.

But the most striking difference was in the eyes. Sai's were black, and, most of the time, blank. Not because he was an emotionless rock – well, mostly not - but because he kept his emotions hidden. It was the opposite with Sasuke. His eyes seemed black at first glance, but Naruto watched with interest, as they seemed to have a the tint of a lighter colour.

"I know you may not regularly be around even remotely attractive people, but I assure you, a picture lasts longer."

Sasuke hadn't even looked up from his page as he spoke, but his words had the intended impact.

Blue eyes tore themselves away, and Naruto tried to ignore the burn that spread across his cheeks. What the hell was he staring at? Sure the guy was pretty good looking, but he was a _jerk_. The blond looked back at Neji, who had just sighed.

Setting his felt tip marker down, light eyes turned back at Sasuke. Neji frowned, "I know you may not regularly interact with people, but I assure you, that is not the way."

"Hn. Neji, have I ever told you that you remind me of my brother?"

There was amusement in Neji's words, obviously not offended by his friend. "You mean you hold incredible admiration and jealously towards my achievements?"

Naruto watched in fascination as emotion swirled within those dark eyes, "Funny, Hyuugya."

Before the banter could continue, a small tune floated through the room. It was quickly stopped, as the brown haired man answered his phone. "This is Neji...Oh, hello...What?... Are you sure? Give me ten minutes; I'll leave now...Hinata, how many times have I told you that I don't mind helping out? Yes, I'm sure...Okay...Bye."

Pressing the little red button, light eyes looked up as Neji stood up from his stool. "I am sorry. But it seems there's a small family emergency-"

"It's all right," the blond reassured. "I totally understand." Slowly, he lifted himself from his aching position, and pressed his fingers on the back of his neck, massaging the skin. "We can always reschedule."

Call him selfish, but Naruto still needed to pay bills, and he liked taking showers thank you very much.

The brown haired man nodded. He turned to the box at his feet that held all his brushes, and pens, and next to that was a small sheet. After picking it up, Neji threw it over the canvas, keeping it hidden from anyone's eyes.

Naruto grinned. "Guess that means peeks are off limits?"

The brown haired man returned the gesture with a small smile of his own, "Not until it's finished." He then wiped his hands onto the front of his overalls, smearing them with the black marks from his marker. "Now for your payment, I-"

"I'll do it," Sasuke interjected. "You get out of here."

Naruto looked on with confusion as both friends stared at each other for minute, before Neji turned to walk into the small store room, closing the door behind him. The blond wondered why the brown haired artist trusted this Sasuke so much. Sure they were friends, but something told him they weren't _that_ close. He looked back at the black haired man who had returned to his page.

Naruto realised he had no idea what was going on. He looked at the closed door, hoping Neji would come out and pay him so he could get home.

Suddenly, the door opened, and Neji emerged, without his white overalls, a book in hand. He walked towards the entrance table, picking up his keys and the bag that had previously been dropped. Naruto took hasty steps forward, "Hey, wait; where are you goin-"

"I'm really sorry," Neji politely interjected. "Sasuke will take care of everything, and I really hope I get to see you after this." He escaped out the door, a soft click echoing through the room, leaving Naruto very confused, his hand still outstretched, alone with the bastard.

Ignoring the slight twitch in his fingers, blue eyes self-consciously glanced behind himself, meeting with black. Neither said a word, letting silence settle between them. Naruto was suddenly beginning to feel a little underdressed, his bare skin prickling. The blond turned, and crossed his arms in front of his chest, trying his best to cover up his lack of clothing. He awkwardly coughed. "So, uhm, about my pay?"

Silence was his only reply.

Since Neji was no longer present in the room, Naruto didn't feel the need to control his irritation. "Look, do you even know how to construct a sentence? You know, something that isn't an insult?"

The corner of Sasuke's lip curled up, almost forming a smile, _almost_. The dark haired man slowly got up from his bay seat, closing his book and setting it down. And Naruto actually noticed just how much taller this man was; he had at least a couple of inches on the blond. "Are you hungry?"

The question was so sudden, that it took a minute for Naruto to realise it was Sasuke who had spoken. He stood there like an idiot, struggling to form an answer to the strange question. "Excuse me?"

The smirk found it's place back onto the dark haired man's face, as he turned to walk towards the telephone handset on a side table next to a small sofa. "It wasn't a very difficult question, and I am assuming hungry is in your dictionary." He began punching in the numbers for the call.

The blond flushed with anger. "Wait a minute, I-"

"I'm starving, and the only place that delivers around here is the pizza joint around the corner."

"Why the hell would I _voluntarily_ have lunch with you?"

Sasuke looked at the blond like he had just said the most amusing thing in the world, "Because you're not stupid enough to walk out of here without your pay."

Gritting his teeth, Naruto fumed on the inside. He wished he could leave just to prove this guy wrong. But he really, _really_ needed the cash, and you know what they said about beggars. Part of the blond gave in, wanting to get this over with as quickly as possible. He was actually kinda hungry. Sighing he asked, "Can I least put my shirt on?"

And that's how twenty minutes later, both men were seated at the island in the middle of a sleek kitchen, a few slices of pizza in each plate. Sasuke was resting his face on the palm of his right hand, his elbow leaning against the black marble. Black eyes watched as the blond in front of him waved his hands, telling him a story, not aware of the small spot of pizza sauce underneath his bottom lip.

"And that's how I ended up naked and locked in a room with my friend's dog." Naruto laughed, remembering the prank Kiba had pulled. Sobering, he picked up his half eaten slice, biting into it. When he pulled his mouth away, it created a long trail of cheese still attached to the slice.

He looked up at Sasuke, who had obviously found his story a little funny, because the small curl of lips formed that killer smile. Okay, so maybe he wasn't such a jack ass; at least, if he tried. Once the two of them had started talking a little, the blond had changed his mind a little about the guy, though, it might've had something to do with how good looking the dark haired man was.

Naruto knew the comment he had made in jest about no one wanting to kiss this man could not have been more wrong. Maybe it was because the blond had always had a thing for people who were a little mysterious. He would never use the phrase 'bad boy' because he was not a masochist. But he couldn't deny how fine Sasuke was, clean cut and polished. Except, of course, his hair.

"So, how come you took up the job? Are you one of those aspiring models?" Sasuke asked, leaning back in his chair, somehow having finished whatever was on his plate. Talk about a quick eater.

Blue eyes widened, choking as he suddenly laughed with food still in his mouth. He shook his head violently, "What? No way!" He slammed his hand onto his chest twice, trying to clear his air passage. "More like someone who needs to pay his bills urgently. Why?" He grinned at the other man. "Liked what you saw?" He motioned to himself.

"All I saw was someone who seems a little self obsessed." Now had Sasuke said this an hour ago, it would've very likely pissed the blond off, but after spending some time with the pale man, he knew that sarcasm was just a part of Sasuke's personality. He didn't actually mean any offense. Well, at least that's what Naruto hoped.

"Being in prime shape is not self obsessed."

"That's not what the tattoo told me."

Wiping his fingers on his jeans, Naruto smiled, the action creasing the skin around his eyes, "At least my hair doesn't look like a duck's butt."

Sasuke who at the time was taking a small sip from his glass of water, snorted, the action causing the man to cough a little. Laughter flowed from the blond's lips, unable to control himself, causing dark eyes to narrow at him. "I must say that is the first time anyone's said that about my hair."

"Yeah, but something tells me you don't actually let people have a full conversation with you."

Sasuke tilted his head. "I don't want to have a conversation with everyone."

Blue eyes widened, and Naruto tried to ignore the fluttering in his stomach. The only reason he was talking to the pale man was because he wanted his pay, not because he wanted to. Besides, he doubted Sasuke felt anything but irritation towards him. Noting the silence that was building up between them, Naruto reached up and scratched the back of his head, trying to change the subject, "So, uhm, how do you know Neji?"

Sasuke thought about the question for a minute, "When I was at school, I kind of hung out with him to piss off my father."

Naruto frowned. "Your father?"

This time, the dark haired man lifted the corner of his lip. "Yeah, our families really didn't like each other back then. And I was always looking for ways to upset my dad. Well, I still do from time to time."

"Right." Naruto commented, "Is that why you hang around Neji when he paints?"

Sasuke who was watching the blond carefully, simply shrugged. "Not always. I kind of needed a place to crash for a while."

"Ah, never took you for a free loader."

"I do pay half the rent, and unlike you, I also have a job."

The blond crinkled his eyebrows. "Hey! I so have a job, you bastard... It just doesn't pay the bills."

"Then why not move into a cheaper place?"

It was Naruto's turn to snort. "Yeah, well I live at the back of the leaf streets; how much cheaper do you want me to go?"

A delicate eyebrow was raised, giving Naruto the impression that Sasuke was surprised. Naruto lived in a really dangerous neighbourhood. It was known for various gang activities, and was primarily the reason why the rents were known to be particularly cheap. The dark haired man probably wondered just how bad the blond's financial troubles were if he couldn't even afford the cheapest apartments.

Almost like his thoughts had been read, the blond smiled. "Don't give me that look. I can handle it." Sasuke watched with fascination as mischief gleamed in those light eyes, as the blond lifted up his shirt, revealing those appetizing tanned abs. "I may not be an aspiring model, but I am one hell of a fighter."

Onyx eyes swirled with hidden emotion, a genuine smile threatening to spill onto his face. "Hn. You're such a dobe."

"What?"

This time, Sasuke did allow himself to smirk. "Nevermind."

Naruto didn't know why, but the gesture was contagious, as he found himself returning it with one of his own.

A small vibration brought him out of his thoughts, Naruto quickly pulled his phone out of his fair jeans, his screen flashing with a message. It was Sakura. _How was the session?_

Tanned fingers moved as they typed up a reply, _Busy right now. Call you later. _

He hit the send button, tucking his phone back into his pocket. Nosy girl.

Naruto looked back up at Sasuke, "Sorry about that." He watched as the dark haired man got up from his seat, picking up the two plates and moving towards the sink. He too got up, not wanting the other to do all the work.

Sasuke opened the tap, and let the water rinse the two plates. He looked back and watched as Naruto picked up the empty pizza box and tossed it into the recycling bin. Even with a shirt on, the blond looked as striking as he had without one.

Naruto felt his phone buzz again, and rolled his eyes. He took it out of his pocket. At least Sakura was persistent; he'd give her that. Blue eyes skimmed the message.

_What do you mean busy!? I promised Ino you'd help deliver flowers. You better not be thinking of keeping my friend waiting xoxo_

Shit, he had totally forgotten. If he left Ino hanging, then Naruto would most likely be on the receiving end of his best friend's rage. And he did not want to make Sakura mad. Sighing, he looked up at Sasuke. "Hey man, I'm really sorry, but I have to get-"

"It's fine," Sasuke cut him off, already walking out the kitchen. "I've got things to do anyway."

Naruto followed him to the main entrance, where the dark haired man was rummaging through his bag, finally pulling out his wallet.

The blond quickly proceeded to slip on his trainers, tying the laces. He doubled checked for his wallet and bus pass. He rose, looking over at Sasuke who had already opened the door. Naruto smiled, "So, uhm, thanks for lunch."

Sasuke watched him, he replied very slowly, "Yeah. It was fun." He held out a few notes, "And thanks for your hard work," The smirk returned to his face, "Even if you did nothing but sit there."

Naruto took the cash, a big grin stretching across his face, "Any time. Guess I'll see you around.""

He took a step outside, but just as he was about to walk away, Sasuke's voice called out, "Naruto, wait."

The blond spun round, partly because he didn't want to leave, and partly because of the way his named had rolled off Sasuke's tongue so casually, and Naruto had liked the way it sounded.

"Yeah?"

Maybe Naruto's reaction time was getting slow, or Sasuke was one fast bastard. Either way, the blond did not expect the hard tug at the front of his shirt, nor did he expect the lips that crashed onto his. He stood there in shock, as a hot tongue moved against his teeth. The kiss was physical and rough, leaving the blond without the capability to think.

And in a split second, all the heat pulled away from Naruto, who was now slightly leaning forward. Hazy blue eyes looked up at a completely composed Sasuke, who was leaning against the door frame with arms crossed. The same smirk Naruto had come to associate with Sasuke was present on his face, "See you around." With that he closed the door.

Slowly, wide blue eyes glanced down at the front of his jeans. Anger surged inside Naruto. How the hell was he supposed to get on the tube with that? Tanned fists slammed the door, "You _bastard_!" Blue eyes narrowed viciously at the soft laughter that came from behind the door, "I'm going to kill you!"

**X-x-0-x-X**

A particularly strong gush of wind blew past Naruto, causing the blond to drive his hands further into the pockets of his warm hoodie. Glanced to the right, the blond made a quick dash across the road, small thuds echoing as leather boots hit the tarmac. The man just barely dodged a beat up Honda that drove past. He was on his way home from one of the night shifts at the diner.

Coming off the smaller alleyways, he made his way to the leaf streets, a much nicer part of town. He idly wondered how much a small studio would cost. _Too_ _much_, his mind answered almost bitterly. A small vibration caused the blonde to pull out his phone, skimming over the message Sai had sent.

_Sakura isn't feeling well. Sorry but movie night is cancelled. _

Sighing, the blond typed in a quick reply, feeling a little bit glad since he was tired. Movie night was a long standing tradition that had been a relaxing end to the week back when they were in university, but now it was just a long evening where Naruto tried his best to ignore the way Sai felt up his pink haired best friend.

Not fun. At all.

Bringing one of his hands out of his pockets, Naruto rubbed his face. He glanced at his watch, which flashed _11:42._ It was way too close to midnight for his liking. He normally stayed over at Sakura's place on movie nights. If he went back home now, the streets would most likely be covered with those gang members.

Deciding to risk it, the blond turned back round, heading home, too tired to find a place to crash at. Part of the reason Naruto had taken on so many extra jobs was because of _that_ bastard. It had been almost a week since he'd had lunch with Sasuke, and he deeply regretted not exchanging numbers. Every time the blond closed his eyes, it was like he could taste the other's lips. It had reached a point where he was going insane.

Naruto would give anything to be able to see Sasuke just once more, but he had no clue how to get in touch with him. He had tried calling Neji once, through the number Sai had given him. No luck; the line had been dead, which meant the number was fake. Naruto had hoped it was just a coincidence, and that the brown haired man would call him to reset a date for another session. That way he'd get to ask about Sasuke.

But even Neji hadn't called, which angered the blond even more. He knew it was just a onetime deal, and he had been paid 200 for an hour and a half. Now, Naruto didn't know the rates for art models, but he guessed that was a little above the average amount.

Looking back at it now, the whole thing just seemed really fishy, and he should've bashed that door down when he had the chance. It was too late to do anything now. And that's why Naruto had begun taking up more jobs to forget the whole incident and put it behind him.

Passing by the empty construction plot, the blond rounded a corner, blue eyes watching around for any suspicious movement. He neared a rundown apartment block; Naruto was about to jog over when he heard a scuffle behind him. Turning, blue eyes widened.

There, at the end of a street, was a tall man, dressed in jeans and formal shoes, not to mention the very expensive looking coat he had on, with a messenger bag slung across his shoulders. If he continued to just stand there, the man was going to get robbed. The blond stayed where he was, watching the man, hoping he would leave.

Something about the man's silhouette looked very familiar to Naruto. He jogged forward, glancing around for strangers. "Hey, mister! Get out of here," he whispered. "It's not safe."

The man turned, and as Naruto got closer, he got a good look at the man. Those longs legs, dark eyes and that hair. Blue eyes narrowed.

"_Sasuke_?" he asked, his voice a lot louder than it had been before.

That same arrogant voice floated to Naruto's ears. "If it's not safe then why are you speaking so loudly?"

"What are you doing here?"

Silence settled, as dark eyes stared at him. Naruto shifted on his feet. This was a lot farther from the uptown apartment where Sasuke hung out.

A shuffling of feet made the blond turn his head. He could hear a group of youngsters coming around the corner of the next street. Whatever business the dark haired man had here, it could be done at a more appropriate time. Grabbing the pale man's hand, he tugged him along to his apartment. "Come on, let's get off the streets first."

The blonde led him up to his apartment, sliding rusty keys into the keyhole. Once unlocked, Naruto grabbed the door handle, and used his shoulder to push the door open roughly. Moving aside, the blond let Sasuke into the small space.

Dark eyes glanced at the furniture, or lack of. "Nice place," he commented, trying to be polite.

"Thanks," Naruto said dryly while tugging off his shoes. Tossing them in the corner, he led Sasuke towards his beat up couch. "Want anything to drink?" he asked just as he dropped back onto his old sofa.

The dark haired man shook his head, dropping his bag, and shrugging off his coat to set it over the back of the worn out chair. He too took a seat, but on the small wooden chair opposite, that seemed so out of place in the mix matched apartment.

Blue eyes glanced at Sasuke. Now what? He had moved the other man out of danger, but he had no idea what to say. He coughed, trying to fill the awkward silence. "So, you doing anything illegal that I should know about, or do you always take walks in the most dangerous places at night?"

The corner of Sasuke lip curled. "Hn. Shouldn't I be asking you that question too?"

"Hey, I live here; what's your excuse?"

Silence once again filled the space between the boys, making the blond frown. Okay, something was obviously up. Sasuke was clearly trying to avoid the topic, so the blond asked another question. "What are you doing here?"

"Looking for you."

Naruto heard the words, but it took a moment to register what they meant. Blue eyes widened. It was possibly the most unexpected answer possible. He stared at Sasuke, whose face was guarded and unreadable. "What?"

Naruto watched closely as the dark eyes in front of him swirled with different emotions, just a glimpse of what the other man was thinking. A few minutes passed before Sasuke shifted, bending down to reach for his bag, causing his dark bangs to fall over his face, "You said you lived around here, but I didn't know exactly where."

He pulled out a small black book from the bag. Black eyes locked with blue. "You know I'm not very good at talking to people. I forget the names and faces of most people I meet. "

Naruto watched as the dark haired man opened up the book, flipping through pages, his voice soft. "That day when you came over was supposed to be a one session sketch, but..." Sasuke held out the book.

Naruto took it from pale hands, curious as to what was inside. His heart fluttered. They were sketches; sketches of him. One of him lying down, his hair ruffled, the dark lines stressing his prominent jaw. Another was a close up of his face, his eyes closed, and warm smile, like he was the happiest man in the world. Flipping the page, there was another of his elbows resting on some sort of counter, his face held up by his hands. The shading showed the light pouring in from the right.

"I couldn't get you out my head." Naruto looked up at Sasuke, who had the tiniest smile on his face. "I just kept seeing your face."

Blue eyes shifted through the pages, all of him, laughing, grinning and smiling. His heart beat quickened. The details were right down to the creases around his eyes and the curve of his Adam apple. "You did these?" Naruto looked up at Sasuke. "Wait, I thought Neji-"

"Please," The dark haired man scoffed. "He couldn't draw a straight line to save his life. He does that as a favour to me. Most people don't know I'm the real Vengeance. "

The blonde frowned. "But the canvas and the ink stain."

"He was writing up the budget reports for work."

Naruto slumped against the couch, staring at the sketch book in his lap. This was too much take in at the moment. He had no idea what to say, but surprisingly enough, he was irritated at the fact he'd been made to sit in that fucking position for over an hour for absolutely no reason. _Jerk_.

Sasuke watched the anger swirl in those blue eyes, causing him to move the couch, settling himself next to the blond.

Naruto looked up at the dark haired man, he knew he should be a little angrier at him, but, truth be told, a part of him was glad that he wasn't the only one that was preoccupied this week. Sasuke may have been arrogant, and seemed a little cold, but those pictures. Each one of those sketches held so much emotion. To the blond, it was like Sasuke had poured out everything he had ever felt onto paper.

Blue eyes fluttered closed as two pairs of lips pressed together. A warmth spread right through Naruto, who had never felt like this before, especially just from a kiss. The feeling was over-whelming. His tongue moving against Sasuke's, the kiss rough and passionate just as the one they shared before. The blond moved himself on top of Sasuke, settling his thighs on top of the other's, his tanned hands wrapping around shoulders.

He felt fingers brush the base of his shirt, pulling it up and over his head. Sasuke attached his lips onto the tanned man's shoulder, the moan that followed going straight to his groin. His pale fingers massaged the blond's back, moving o his hips. One hand slipped past the blond's jeans, and boxers.

Blue eyes widened at the sudden grip, and Naruto's breath became more laboured. Oh _god_, he needed it so badly.

"Soon." was whispered into his ears.

Apparently, Naruto had said that last part out loud.

The whole thing was a bit of a daze for the blond. He didn't recall most things, like how they had moved from the couch to the floor, or how all his clothes just disappeared. They were irrelevant because the only thing his mind could focus on how it _felt_.

The breath on his ear, the burn in his knees, or the heat _inside_ him, all these things happening at once, overheating the blond. Setting him on fire from the inside. Naruto's mind barely registered the sounds coming out of his mouth, or the commands; just a constant mixture of, "Faster...Oh Sasuke... _Ngh_, more." It left him breathless, because it just felt so good.

Sasuke rested his forehead against the blond's shoulder, taking in a deep breath.

"_Sa-suke_." roared the man underneath him, signalling his release.

That throaty voice, and the sudden pressure around him was too much for even Sasuke. A restrained grunt escaped his lips as he too felt himself come down from the pleasure high. Carefully, the pale man pulled out of Naruto, kissing the skin at the back of his neck. He settled himself next to the blond, wrapping his arms around the other.

Blue eyes opened slowly, readjusting himself to rest against dark haired man. "Hey Sasuke."

The blond's voice was still a little croaky.

"Hm?" Pale fingers stroked the blond hair.

"If I ever see any inappropriate sketches of myself, you're so dead."

Soft laughter echoed through the room, "That's if you find them." Said the dark haired man, looking away guiltily.


End file.
